66 "them between 4 & 6 in ye afternoone & againe between 9 & 10 "the same night. it was generally thought heere at Cambr. that y English & Dutch were at ye same time engaged in fight."(1) Samuel Newton and Thomas Mace treasurers of the town for the year ending at Michaelmas, make these charges in their accounts: To Alderman Finch for sugar cakes at the Towne hall on the 29th May and on the thankesgiving day for the Victory against the Dutch . . To Mr. Mayfield for Wine at the Towne Hall on the said thankesgiving day £. 8. d. 0 16 0 0 13 4(2) An Act passed for better repairing so much of the road from London to Cambridge as is situate in the county of Hertford between Puckeridge and Barley, by a toll to be collected at Wadesmill and to be applied for repair of the road referred to; as also the road from London to York.(3) In August, the plague again prevailed in Cambridge, and in that month William Jennings one of the bailiffs died of it. On the first of September, a proclamation was posted prohibiting Sturbridge fair on account of the great plague in London.(4) On the 12th of September, the Corporation made an order prohibiting the usual public dinner on Michaelmas day "in regard the infeccion "of the plague is in divers parts of this kingdome & in some mea"sure in this Towne & in respect all publique meetings within this "Towne are prohibited both by the University & Towne."(5) On the 10th of October, a grace passed the Senate for discontinuing sermons at St. Mary's and exercises in the schools, on account of the prevalence of the plague.(6) (1) Ald. Newton's Diary; Pepys in his Diary (8vo. edit. ii. p. 272) writing at London under the same date says" All this day by all people upon the River, and almost every where else hereabout were heard the guns, our two fleets for certain being engaged." There is a tradition that on occasion of some naval engagement between the English and Dutch in which the latter gained the advantage:-" Sir Isaac Newton came into the hall of "Trinity College, and told the other fellows, that there had been an action just then between "the Dutch and English, and that the latter had the worst of it. Being asked how he came "by his knowledge; he said, that, being in the observatory, he heard the report of a great firing "of cannon, such as could only be between two great fleets, and that as the noise grew louder "and louder, he concluded that they drew near to our coasts; and consequently that we had "the worst of it, which the event verified."-Nichols, Hist.& Antiq. of Hinckley, 61 n. This was probably the engagement between the English and Dutch on the 1st, 2d, and 3d of June, 1666. The guns were heard plainly in London. (Pepys's Diary, 8vo. edit. ii. 396, 400; Echard, Hist. of England, iii. 160.) (2) Accounts of the Treasurers of the Town, of receipts from Michaelmas, 1664, to Michaelmas, 1665, of payments from Michaelmas, 1664, to 15th March, 1665-6. (3) Stat. 16 & 17 Car. II. c, 10. The first Turnpike Act was the 15 Car. II. c. 1. which was for repair of so much of the road from London to York as is situate in the counties of Hertford, Cambridge, and Huntingdon. For this purpose tolls were imposed and collected at turnpikes at Wadesmill, Caxton, and Stilton. The Stat. 16 & 17 Car. II. c. 10, s. 3, removed the Cambridgeshire toll gate from Caxton to Arrington Bridge or the town of Arrington. (4) Ald. Newton's Diary. (5) Corporation Common Day Book. (6) MS. Baker, xlii. 107 The pestilence indeed raged with great violence. None ventured to continue in Corpus Christi College but Mr. Tennison one of the fellows (afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury), two scholars and a few servants, for whom a preservative powder was brought and administered in wine, whilst charcoal, pitch, and brimstone were kept constantly burning in the Gatehouse. Mr. Tennison who was vicar of Great St. Andrew's, courageously attended upon his cure during this and the succeeding visitation, and with perfect safety to himself. Out of gratitude, the inhabitants on his leaving that benefice presented him with a handsome piece of plate.(1) Amongst those who left the University on this occasion was the great Newton, who retired to his estate at Woolsthorpe, and there the fall of an apple from a tree suggested to him the principle of universal gravitation.(2) On the 8th of December, the following bill of health was published: CAMBRIDGE, DECR. 8, 1665. All the colleges (God be praised) are and have continued without any infection of the plague. From the 2d of Nov. to the 16th the burials were at Cambridge as follow: Those marked died of the plague. At the pesthouse likewise died 4 of the Plague. FRANCIS WILFORD Vicechancellor, In March, the subjoined announcement was put forth :CAMBRIDGE, March 15.-This place is now (God be praysed) free from Infection not one having dyed of it these six weeks, so that all that return again hither will be received and we hope without danger: upon which confidence the first Act for Bachellors of Arts is appointed to be on the Second of April, the latter Act upon Thursday April 26 next ensuing.(4) The burials throughout the year in all the parishes (except St. Giles') were 413.(5) (1) Masters, History of Corp. Chr. Coll. 161, 392. (2) Corney, Curiosities of Literature Illustrated, 2d edit. 152. (3) MS. Bowtell, iii. 444. (4) London Gazette, 19th to 22d March, 1665, No. 37. (5) MS. Bowtell, iii. 445. An additional aid being granted to the King for twenty-four months, the county of Cambridge (exclusive of the Isle of Ely) was charged with £771. 18s. Old. per month.(1) An Act continuing the act for regulating the press(2) contains the subjoined clauses : AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED That from and after the Six and twentyeth day of December One thousand six hundred sixty five Every Printer within the Citty of London or in any other place except the Two Universityes shall reserve Three printed Copies of the best and largest Paper of every Booke new printed or reprinted by him with Additions, and shall before any publique vending of the said Booke bring them to the Master of the Company of Stationers and deliver them to him, One whereof shall by the said Master of the said Company of Stationers within Ten dayes after he hath soe received the same be delivered to the Keeper of his Majestyes Library, and the other two within the said ten dayes to be sent to the Vice-Chauncellour of the two Universityes respectively for the use of the publique Libraries of the said Universityes. AND IT IS FURTHER ENACTED That the Printers in the said Universityes and every of them respectively from and after the said Six and twentyeth day of December shall deliver one such printed Copy as aforesaid of every Booke so new printed or reprinted in the said Universityes or in either of them to the Keeper of His Majestyes Library as aforesaid as alsoe to the Vice Chauncellour of either of the said Universityes for the time being, two other such printed Copyes for the use of the publique Libraries of the said Universityes respectively. And if any of the Printers aforesaid or the said Master of the Company of Stationers shall not observe the direction of this Act therein That then he and they soe makeing defaulte in not delivering the said printed Copies as aforesaid shall severally forfeit besides the value of the said printed Copies the summe of Five pounds for every Copy not soe delivered, as alsoe the value of the said printed Copyes not soe delivered, The same to be recovered by His Majestie His Heires and Successors and by the Chauncellour Masters and Schollers of either of the said Universityes respectively by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in any of His Majestyes Courts of Record at Westminster wherein noe Essoyne Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed.(3) 1666. On the 1st of June, Tobias Rustat Esq. Yeoman of the King's Robes, (4) gave the University £1000. for the purchase of £50. per annum for ever, to be laid out in buying the best and most useful books for the Public Library.(5) (1) Stat. 17 Car. II. c. 1, s. 2. (2) Vide ante, p. 501. (3) Stat. 17 Car. II. c. 4, ss. 2, 3. (4) See an account of his various benefactions, especially to Jesus College in this University, and St. John's College, Oxford, in Peck, Desiderata Curiosa, lib. xiv. 50. There is an excellent portrait of Mr. Rustat by Sir Peter Lely in Jesus College hall, and in the chapel of that College is a monument to his memory (Blomefield, Collectanea Cantabrigiensia, 143), from which it appears he died a bachelor at the age of 87 years, 15th March, 1693. Evelyn, (Diary, 4to. edit. i. 488,) mentions Mr. Rustat as "a very simple ignorant but honest creature." (5) Peck, Desiderata Curiosa, lib. xiv. p. 50; MS. Baker, xxv. 273. On the 20th of June, Sir Thomas Adams Knt, and Bart.(1) Alderman of London, executed a deed for the perpetual establishment in this University of a Professor of Arabic.(2) By the terms of this deed, the Professor is to be of good fame, of an honest conversation, a Master of Arts at least, well learned and skilled in the oriental languages, especially in Arabic, and who has no other professorship or lectureship, unless he be willing to resign it before his admission to this. Amongst persons so qualified, Masters of Colleges first, then fellows of Colleges, and then Masters of Arts being gremials of the University, are to be preferred. The electors are the Vicechancellor and Heads of Colleges, the Vicechancellor having a casting vote in case of an equality.(3) The stipend of the professor is £40. per annum. In the summer of this year, the plague again broke out with great violence, and in the London Gazette,(4) under date of July 18, it is stated that Mr. Thomas Warren of Basing Lane was appointed by the Vicechancellor to receive contributions. A subsequent number of the same paper has the subjoined announcement : Mr. Thomas Warren an apothecary living at the Golden Anchor and Hart in Basing Lane near Bread Street is appointed by the University of Cambridge to receive what the charity of well disposed persons shall invite them to give for the relief of the Poor of the place much visited with sickness.(5) On the third of August, the King by an order in council put off Sturbridge fair to prevent the spreading of the infection.(6) All public meetings of the University and Town were also suspended for a like reason,(7) and on the ground of the plague prevailing at Cambridge, Peterborough, and other places near Ely; the fairs in that city were prohibited by the Bishop.(8) (1) He was created a baronet in December, 1663. He had been very obnoxious to the Long Parliament, who impeached him of high treason and removed him from being Alderman of London. (Parliamentary Hist, of England, xvii. 85, 112, 118, 119, 212; xix. 97.) Sir Thomas Adams died at his house, in Ironmonger's Hall, London, 24th February, 1667-8, aged 81. On the 10th of March, his body was solemnly conveyed to Saint Katherine Creechurch, attended by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Draper's Company, the Governors of St. Thomas's Hospital, and the Heralds at Arms, where a funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Nathanie! Hardy Dean of Rochester; the body was placed in the vestry of that church, and on the 12th was removed for interment to Sprouston in Norfolk. Dr. Hardy's sermon was afterwards printed under the title of The Royal Common-wealth's man.” The pedigree of Sir Thomas Adams is in Blomefield, Hist. of Norfolk, 8vo. edit. x. 461, and his epitaph in Le Neve, Monumenta Anglicana, ii. 127. (2) Vide ante, p. 247. (3) MS. Baker, xxvii. 193; Gunning, Ceremonies of the Univ. of Cambridge, 301. (4) No. 72. (5) London Gazette, 6th to 9th August, 1666, No. 77. The foregoing is repeated in several succeeding numbers and in No. 88 (17th to 20th September) is an advertisement that Mr. Warren (who seems to have been burnt out of Hasing Lane by the great fire) then lived at Sir Thomas Bonfoye's house in Leadenhall Street. (6) London Gazette, No. 76. (7) Corporation Common Day Book, Sept. 24. (8) London Gazette, No. 91. Briefs were granted for the relief of the visited. On the 16th of September, there was a collection in the church of Tavistock "towardes the reliefe of the present poore distressed people of the towne and University of Cambridge."(1) The burials throughout the year (exclusive of the parish of St. Giles) were 797.(2) Shortly after the great fire of London, several riotous persons threatened to make Cambridge a second London, whereupon the Vicechancellor issued out orders for five or six scholars of each College to keep watch in their respective Colleges.(3) On the 8th of November, was read a second time in the House of Commons "A Bill for making provisions for such as shall be infected with the Plague," whereupon was read twice "A Clause for the Town of Cambridge," which it was resolved should be part of the bill.(4) On bringing up the report of the Committee on this bill, on the 24th of November, it appeared that the Committee had in a certain amendment to the bill placed the Mayor before the Vicechancellor. This produced a debate, and the question being put to agree with the Committee, the House divided(5) thereon, and there were yeas 22, noes 51; "And so it passed in the Negative. And the "Amendment was rectified; and the Vice Chancellor inserted before "the Mayor; and with the Alteration, on the Question, agreed to."(6) This bill did not pass into a law. During the progress of the before mentioned bill the Corporation seal was affixed to the following instrument : TOWN OF CAMBRIDGE. WHEREAS it hath pleased God oftentimes heretofore to afflict this Town with the grevious disease of the Plague but more especially for these two years last past, to the great impoverishment of the Inhabitants thereof; out of the deep sense thereof the said Inhabitants have petitioned the Honourable Knights and Burgesses in Parliament belonging to the County University and Town aforesaid for an Act of Parliament to take in 40 Acres of Ground in a place called Coldham's Common and there to erect such pest houses as shall be thought fit, that place being most advantageous for water and other necessaries. AND for a further testimony thereof and the better furtherance of the business therein, we have with one assent and consent signified the seal of our said Corporation, humbly submitting ourselves to the grave judgments of the Honourable Parliament therein. DATED at the Guildhall of the said Town the 13th day of November, in the 18th year of the reign (1) Mrs. Bray's Tamar and Tavy, ii. 122. (2) MS. Bowtell, iii. 447. (3) Masters, Hist. of Corp. Chr. Coll. 162. (4) Commons' Journals, viii. 646. (5) Tellers: for the Yeas, Mr. Pepis, Mr. Lewis; for the Noes, Sir Thomas Tompkins, Mr. Crouch. |